Unexpected Honesty
by Leaflame
Summary: After a reckless move on Ash's part, Serena is hurt and angry. Sparks fly between the two and during their argument, Serena blurts out the last thing that she would've wanted to say to the raven-haired boy with the Pikachu on his shoulder.
1. Chapter 1

**Unexpected Honesty**

An Amourshipping Fanfiction

"All right then! Let's get going!" Ash called out to the rest of his friends.

The heroes had finished packing up last night's camp, and, after many checks, a lost wrench and a few explosions, had deemed themselves ready for the next leg of the journey from Anistar City to Laverre City. From there they would go to Lumiose City, where Ash would finally compete in the Kalos League. Serena felt a rush of admiration as she looked at the raven-haired boy on her right. She had watched him train tirelessly day and night, doing his very best in order to enter the Kalos League and make his dream come true. That moment was drawing close; very close. They had just left Anistar City, and were on their way to Laverre City. The journey was going to be difficult, as there was tall mountain range between the two cities. Much to her surprise, Serena wasn't all that scared of what lay in in between them and the next city. She smiled to herself. The Serena from the past would have quailed at the idea of crossing a gigantic mountain like this one, friends or no friends. She really had grown, and it was all thanks to the boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder. Ash had made all of them grow, and he had done it in that frank, strong, yet kindly way of his. He was also extremely dense. The whole world knew that many girls would fall head over heels in love with him, given the chance, some more than others. Serena was no exception. She had had it badly for Ash ever since he fixed her knee for her, all those years ago.

"Hey Serena! Are you gonna stay here or something?" Bonnie's loud voice snapped Serena out of her thoughts. Much to her embarrassment, everyone had already finished packing and were now staring at her. Quickly, she packed her bag and, after a quick check to see if she had forgotten anything, Serena joined the others.

They had reached the foot of the mountain. The heroes had decided to walk up the mountain instead of taking Mamoswine, as it was summertime and there was very little snow, barely two minute's worth of walking. As they made their way up the green mountain, the air was full of cheer. It was so comfortingly _normal_. Ash was feeding Pikachu an apple while talking to Bonnie. Clemont was telling them facts about the mountain that they were crossing. Serena was dancing a little while walking as she planned out steps for her next Performance. She had been asked to perform as a guest more than once, so she always kept a spare routine handy.

She felt a surge of triumph as she pulled herself up the last of the wall. They had just made their way up a particularly tricky rock wall. It had been scary and fairly dangerous, and Serena was relieved that it was over and done with. "Grant would have loved this," Ash joked, referring to the Cyllage gym leader's obsession with walls. The group laughed, forgetting the difficulty and fear of what had just passed. Trust Ash to cheer the group up. He really was a true leader.

They had just reached the top, and Ash was exulting over the marvellous view. "It really feels like you're about to touch the skies," Clemont said, wonder in his voice. "So pretty," Bonnie breathed. "What a sight for sore eyes," Serena said, as she saw the land stretching away for miles under her. "This is really amazing," Ash whispered, awed by Nature's beauty. "Piika," Pikachu said.

Suddenly, a large metal claw burst out of nowhere and snatched Pikachu off Ash's shoulder. This was followed by a cry of "PI!? PIKA!" from Pikachu and an outraged "What's going on around here!" from Ash. Everybody looked up, determined to catch the people who had performed this crime. As Serena expected, a large hot air balloon was floating about twenty to thirty feet above their heads, the balloon itself fashioned to look like a Meowth, with Pikachu trapped in a glass case under it. The case was fixed to the bottom of the balloon's basket. "Prepare for trouble, little twerps!" Serena scowled. Jessie, James and Meowth, from Team Rocket. They were annoying, irritating, and were hellbent on stealing Ash's Pikachu. "Not you! Give Pikachu back!" Ash yelled, voicing all his hatred for the trio floating above him. "You shut up," Jessie barked. The group scowled at Jessie's rude behaviour. "Now, where were we? Yes! Prepare for trouble, silly little twerps!" Jessie said. "And make it double- OWWW!" James never finished his part of the motto thanks to a well-aimed Boomburst from Ash's Noivern. This action riled Team up no end. "Impudent little twerps!" Jessie cried! "At least have the decency to respect one's motto!" James cried. "I really don't have the time for this!" Ash shouted. "You ready, Noivern?" A loud cry from the Sound Wave Pokemon told Ash that it was ready to go. "All right then! Gourgeist, let's teach the twerps some etiquette!" Jessie said while tossing out a Pokeball. "Okay.. Inkay!" James announced while releasing his Inkay. Wobbuffet was out of its ball anyway. That made a total of three Pokemon. "Let's go! Braixen!" Serena tossed out her beloved partner's Pokeball. Braixen burst out of the ball and poised itself for battle. "Luxray!" Clemont cried while the Gleam Eyes Pokemon appeared in a flash of blue light, and, not unlike Braixen, braced itself for battle.

"Annoying twerps! Gourgeist, Dark Pulse" Jessie yelled. "Inkay! Use Psybeam!" James yelled. "Get ready for my Fury Swipes!" Meowth shouted while it launched itself at the heroes with claws unsheathed.

"Noivern, use Boomburst!" "Braixen, use Scratch!" "Luxray, use Swift!" All three attacks from both sides collided with a loud explosion. The battle continued, and, as usual, the tables were turning in the heroes favour. Finally, with a powerful Fire Blast from Braixen, Team Rocket was sent flying, and Pikachu dropped towards the heroes. It landed just on the edge of the mountaintop. Then the unthinkable happened. The part of the mountain where Pikachu had been standing broke off, and began the hundred and fifty foot drop towards the bottom, taking Pikachu with it.

"NO! Pikachu!" And, with a single jump, Ash leaped off the mountaintop and plummeted down after his best friend.

Terror chilled Serena's veins. No. This couldn't be happening. The boy that she loved was now falling to his death. No. She was not going to let this happen. "Ash, NO! Sylveon, catch him, quick!" Sylveon burst out of its ball and, elongating its feelers, reached down and grabbed the falling boy. Serena ran to the edge of the mountaintop and peered down, straining her eyes to the limit to catch sight of Ash. What she saw made her blood run cold. Ash's head was less than a foot away from the ground. "Pull him up, quick!" Within a minute, Ash was back on top with his friends. Bonnie launched herself at Ash, crying bitterly, while Clemont reached out and gave him a quick hug. "Ash, we thought we had lost you! Why are you so reckless?" Clemont scolded. "Sorry, everyone," Ash said, looking genuinely shamefaced. "Serena-," "Shut up," she hissed. And with those sharp words, she turned around and stalked away towards the bottom of the mountain.

Serena's odd behaviour continued until they reached the Centre and up until dinnertime. She was angry and hurt that Ash had so recklessly jumped off without even giving his friends' feelings a second thought. Finally, while eating dinner, Ash couldn't stand it anymore. "Why are you so angry with me?" he burst out, staring in Serena's direction. The latter maintained a stony silence. "Speak up!" Ash yelled. "Fine!" she yelled, surprising Ash with the sheer anger in her voice. "I'll tell you why I'm mad! I'm mad because you just jumped off that mountaintop without even thinking about how your friends would feel if you didn't make it!" she yelled. "But Clemont and Bonnie are perfectly fine now! Why are YOU so angry!" Ash retorted, surprised and hurt by Serena's sharp words.

"Because I love you, you idiot!"

 **Author's Note: Welcome back! So, we have an angry Serena who has just blurted out her most carefully guarded secret up until now! How will Ash react? What will Serena do afterwards? Find out in the next chapter, which you can expect anywhere between Wednesday and Sunday. Please review so I can make my stories better for you guys, and hugs and kisses to those who read, followed or favourited my previous stories, it really means a lot to me! Thank you so much to Quality Controlled Amour for accepting me, your stories are so awesome. See you guys soon**

 **Please review and keep smiling,**

 **Leaflame.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Unexpected Honesty**

An Amourshipping Fanfiction

Chapter 2

"Because I love you, you idiot!"

Serena's mouth snapped shut as soon as the last angry syllable escaped her lips. Her most ferociously guarded secret was now out in the open for all to see. She couldn't believe it. She stood there, the flush leaving her face, which was now the colour of a sheet of paper, the furious expression replaced by one of shock and horror.

Ash stood in front of her, every vestige of anger drained out of him in the face of this outburst. Had Serena just said that she loved _him_? He didn't know what to say. Pikachu sat next to him, looking and feeling just as shocked as its trainer and friend.

Clemont and Bonnie remained silent, their expressions full of surprise. Clemont had always had a faint inkling that Serena cared for Ash more than any regular friend, but he had never been sure. Bonnie had been sure, and she had always wanted Serena to fess up to Ash. But not like this. Never like this.

The Pokemon had stopped eating, and were staring up at their trainers. The whole table was covered in a shroud of silence.

Finally, Serena found her voice. "I'm sorry," she whispered, staring at Ash. "I'm, so, so sorry. I don't know what came over me," she said. There was no point in hiding it now that it was out. "But what I said is true," she finished. She stared at Ash, hoping that he would say something. But nothing came out. Her blue eyes filled with tears, as the gravity of the situation finally sank in. She blinked them away. "Serena," Ash began, extending a hand towards her. Serena shook her head. "Good night, everyone. I'll do the dishes. Sweet dreams,". She picked up her own plate and a few others. Her Pokemon had already sprung to their feet and were picking up the rest. Her feet feeling like lead, she walked into the kitchen, carrying an armful of plates and glasses and cutlery, her Pokemon bringing up the rear.

As soon as Serena entered the kitchen, Sylveon whisked away whatever dishes that she had been holding, and dropped them into the dishwasher. Braixen brought a small chair out, and, gently prodding at Serena's shoulders, helped her sit down. Pancham brought her a glass of iced water, and when she didn't touch it, climbed onto her lap and pressed the rim against her mouth, forcing her to drink. Serena let her Pokemon look after her, and sat there, staring into space, all thoughts of washing dishes out of her mind. "One angry outburst was all it took," she said, as a little bit of life crept back into her blue eyes. All of her Pokemon jumped, startled, before gathering around her, nuzzling her affectionately, understanding perfectly well just what Serena was going through right now.

She looked down at them, and she realized that even if the whole world was against her, even if this dilemma never worked out, they would always be next to her, cheering her on, holding her hand. The thought cheered her up a little bit. She felt a lot calmer now. She slowly began to run the day's events through her mind. Team Rocket. The fall. Her anger at Ash. Their argument. And, finally, the confession. Wait…. Confession? Yes. In a way, she had confessed to Ash. Not exactly the most romantic or peaceful confession, but a confession all the same. She sat up straighter. There was a chance that she could fix this. She got up, changed out of her day clothes into her nightclothes, and slept deeply, full of resolve.

She would talk to him tomorrow.

Ash sat outside the Pokemon Centre, breathing in the cool night air. What had just happened? He still couldn't wrap his head around what Serena had said a mere two hours ago. _"Because I love you, you idiot!"_ Oh man. Serena was in love with him. Weirdly enough, the thought made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like some small part of him had _wanted_ Serena to fall in love with him. He felt like he wanted her by his side, and that he would die for her if necessary. He thought about how she had cut her hair off after her first Showcase, and how much she had grown since then. Her smile. Since when had he started noticing these things? He couldn't understand it at all. And then there was what he did today. He kept on wincing whenever he thought about it. There were fifty other things that he could've done to save Pikachu. He could've asked Greninja to use its tongue. Noivern and Talonflame could've flown down. But he had let the moment take him, and he had risked his own life. Again. He felt mad at himself whenever he thought of the anger and hurt in Serena's eyes. He had made her cry. He seriously owed her an apology. And then… maybe she could help him understand this strange feeling he had.

"It's been a long day, buddy," he said to Pikachu. "Let's change and get some rest." He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Ash had made up his mind.

He would talk to her tomorrow.

 **Author's Note: Welcome back! So, we have our two main protagonists who have somehow managed to work out exactly how they are feeling. We have a slightly lovesick Ash. We have an equally lovesick Serena. Both are determined to make up. What will come from their conversation in the morning? Will things finally work out? Find out in the next chapter!**

 **Big, big hugs and kisses to all of the amazing people who reviewed, favourited and followed! Thank you very much. Please review so that I can make my stories more awesome for you guys. The next chapter will be the last one, and you can expect it anywhere between Wednesday and Sunday, as usual. See you guys soon!**

 **Please review and keep smiling,**

 **Leaflame.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Unexpected Honesty**

An Amourshipping Fanfiction

Chapter 3

The sun rose on a day that would change something in a certain honey blonde performers life, for the good or bad.

Serena sat on the edge of her bed, mentally replaying the events of last night in her head, trying to plan out what she was going to say to the raven haired trainer who just happened to be the boy that she was in love with. Finally, she just dropped it. Mooning over what she was going to say to Ash of all people was not going to help. She would make a mess of it. No, it was better to just tell him what lay in her heart, and hope for the best.

But she was human, which meant that she was extremely nervous. " _How am I going to do this?"_ she thought to herself. She was trying to summon up her courage when a soft white paw covered her hand. She looked at it, and then upwards, to find Braixen's wise red eyes gazing at her, filled with encouragement and cheer. Sylveons feelers wound around her, the fairy type on her lap, paws on her chest. Pancham climbed onto her shoulder and patted her cheek with one paw. Serena smiled. She would be lost without her Pokemon. They always knew what to do. Strength filled her.

"All right, then. Let's do this."

And with that, she stepped out of her room.

Ash stood on the Pokemon Centre's portico, watching the sun rise, and trying to work out what he was going to say to Serena. Firstly, why did the prospect of speaking to her scare him so much? He didn't know why, but he was scared all the same. He wanted this to turn out well, so here he was, sitting here with his Pokemon all around him, and planning. He sat there for what seemed like forever, trying to plan something out, until finally, he just let it go. He had never been one for speeches, and this situation was no exception. He would be as straightforward as ever, and would tell her how he felt.

But he was no emotionless robot. He was human. He had feelings. He was nervous. Oh, man. Things were never gonna work out at this rate. Frustration surged through him. He clenched his fists. Then, something warm covered them. He looked up, and found Talonflame sitting on his knee and placing its wings over his hands. They unclenched and relaxed under the comforting warmth of Talonflames fluffy, warm grey feathers. Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder and nuzzled his face. Greninja put its webbed hands on Ash's shoulders. Hawlucha gently punched his bicep. Noivern wrapped its wings around all of them. Ash relaxed. He didn't know what he would do without his Pokemon. He took a deep breath and stood up.

"All right then. Here goes."

And with that, he walked into the Pokemon Centre.

Serena walked into the lobby of the Pokemon Centre, at the same time Ash walked in. He immediately walked purposefully up to her. "I need to talk to you," they both blurted out at the same time. He laughed, and so did she. "Outside," he told her.

Five minutes later, they were both standing outside the Pokemon Centre, standing side by side, leaning on the railing. "You go first," Ash told her. She took a deep breath. It was finally time.

"Ash, I-I'm really sorry for what happened yesterday," she began, her words coming out in a rush. "I was angry because of what you had done, even though you apologized. I was so scared, because I had no clue what I would've done with myself if you didn't make it, if Sylveon hadn't caught you. I behaved really badly at dinner, and you had every right to yell at me. I know that I got madder then I should've, but ever since you bandaged my knee all those years ago at camp, I've had a big crush on you," she confessed. Ash's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but she plowed on. "Then I found you, and journeyed with you, and that small crush I had on you turned into something more. Seeing how brave, strong, determined and kind you were made me fall in love with you. So… what I said last night was true. I'd like to be with you… if you'll have me," she finished. In a way, she felt a lot lighter now that it was out.

Ash stared at her, unable to say anything, his face blank. Then, he shook his head and began to speak.

"Serena, you really shouldn't apologize for what happened yesterday. It was my fault. All of it. The number of times I apologized doesn't count. I made you cry. I didn't think. I should have stayed cool and used one of my Pokemon to save Pikachu, not risk myself. I was reckless. Again," he added, rubbing his nose with his finger, embarrassed. "I didn't think about the number of people who cared about me, and what they would do if I didn't make it. So, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" he asked, staring anxiously in her direction, searching her face. She smiled, and his heart sped up. That fuzzy feeling turned up again. "Of course I will," she said, warmly. He couldn't help but notice how the rising sun made her hair turn gold.

"Now," Serena began, looking at Ash hopefully. "Will you have me?" Ash stared at her. "Before I make that choice," He said, looking hesitant. "I need some help." "Sure!" Serena replied, smiling. "It's this strange feeling I have. About you," he added. She looked surprised. "Go on," she said. "At first, you were just another girl that I really liked and wanted to travel with," Ash said. Serena nodded encouragingly. She was taking this really well. That warm, fuzzy feeling returned. "Then I travelled with you, through the good and the bad. I began to notice things about you, things that I never really saw in any of my other friends. Your strength, the way you react under pressure, the way you smile, the way you just keep on trying and never giving up. What a good person you are. You were with me in Snowbelle City, and you snapped me out of it. And then yesterday, you nearly cried, and I couldn't stop beating myself up about it. I felt really dumb. I was so scared that you wouldn't forgive me. More than I should've been. I want to stay with you and see you every day, safe and sound and happy. I've never felt like this before. I thought you could help me out," he finished.

Serena hadn't said a word throughout his narrative. She stood there staring. She didn't know what to say. The sheer whirl of feelings roaring inside her chest had left her speechless. Finally, her voice came back to her. "Ash," she began, her voice shaking. "It sounds like you're in love with me. The same way I'm in love with you," she said. "Love?" Ash whispered. It all made perfect sense to him now. He really was dense. "Well," he said, taking her hands. "I'm glad that you're the girl I fell in love with," he said, smiling. "So you'll have me?" Serena asked, smiling. He smiled.

Before Ash knew what was happening a pair of arms were flung around his neck, and she was pressing against him, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back.

After they separated, Serena's eyes widened. "What are we gonna say to Clemont and Bonnie?" she asked, looking nervous.

"Only one way to find out!" Ash replied

And the happy young couple turned around and walked into the Pokemon Centre, where two friends and a horde of Pokemon, and a rather anxious Pikachu with its own story to share about a certain Buneary awaited them.

 **Author's note: Well, there you have it! The end of Unexpected Honesty. *smiles sadly* I had a lot of fun writing this story, and many more will follow it. Big, big hugs and kisses to the amazing people that followed, favorited and reviewed, you guys make my day, and encourage me to write more. I have my exams coming up, so I'm studying for those, so please don't get mad of some of my stories and updates get a little late, like this one! I'll keep writing though. Please review so that I can improve for you guys, and any requests are most welcome! See you with another story!**

 **Please review and keep smiling,**

 **Leaflame.**


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